Sylvester Stallone is considered one of the great heroes of American action cinemaHe attracted attention especially in the 80s with Rocky sequels and the Rambo films. Much later, he enjoyed further success with The Expendables films.
However, an early title from Sly’s filmography caused the actor to developed in an unfortunate directionbefore an embarrassing experience brought him back down to earth.
Sylvester Stallone remembers with shame his ego trip after the success of his legendary boxing drama
The film star was in London in 2014, where he spoke about his career at an event called An Evening with Sylvester Stallone (via BBC). Sly recalled the 1970s, when he had a huge hit with the first Rocky film and, according to his own statement, “unbearable” behaved:
I have abused my power badly. I read some of the interviews I gave back then and I wish I could go back and slap myself in the face.
Stallone also reported how he got out of this egomaniacal phase. A key moment occurred in the late 70s during a cinema screening on the opening day of Rocky II. The star of the film sneaked into one of the cinemas where only two other people were present, one of whom even slept through the film. This was a humiliating experience which, however, did him good in the long run.
MGM
Sylvester Stallone in Rocky
Stallone must have had a bad day or a bad movie, because according to The Numbers, Rocky II grossed over 200 million US dollars worldwide – on a budget of just 7 million. Not the most successful film in the series, but not the least successful either. The actor is much more uncomfortable with a completely different film today.
How many Rocky movies are there actually?
There are currently nine films in the Rocky franchise and a tenth is already planned. After four numbered sequels up to Rocky V in 1990, the film Rocky Balboa continued in 2006. The Sly films were replaced by the follow-up film series Creed – Rocky’s Legacy, which started in 2015 and has starred Michael B. Jordan for three parts.
Creed IV is currently in development and will again star Jordan.
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